by Tamsin Ley
“Why did you come to me?” She inched forward, her breathing shallow.
The waves lapped at the hull rhythmically as he seemed to consider. His voice thrummed low enough to vibrate the deck supporting her. “I needed a cure.” He stretched a hand toward her breast, stopping just short of touching her. For a moment she swore his whole body flashed deep violet. He dropped the hand. “I will not take from you again, Madison.”
He turned to grasp the gunwale.
Sure she would lose her chance forever, she lunged. Her hands wrapped around his hips and her weight dragged him back to the deck with a bone-jarring thump. Quickly, before he could recover, she scrambled to pin his arms. “I’m not done talking to you.”
He flexed, easily lifting her upward, as if to prove she couldn’t hold him. Then he relaxed, lying there unresisting. The moon had risen high enough to pour light onto the deck, and his eyes glinted at her with fiery green and purple light. She was suddenly very aware of her crotch resting against his firm abs.
A slow smile lifted the corners of his mouth, and the tip of his tongue slipped out to caress his upper lip. Damn, this man was the most sex-charged creature she could ever imagine. She breathed out a sigh. He lifted his chin as if reveling in a tropical breeze. His voice rumbled from his chest and straight into her core with shocking intensity. “You are a confusing female.”
Her grip on his arms trembled, like her bones wanted to turn to jelly. “Well, you’re an intriguing male. Please tell me you won’t leave until we’re done talking.”
“I’m apparently at your command.” He arched one eyebrow.
Loosing her grip, she remained straddling his torso.
He shifted beneath her, lowering his arms so his palms rested on her hips, and his thumbs circled the sensitive hollows on either side of her abdomen. Eddies of desire rocketed down her thighs. Don’t be sidetracked by hormones again. He was being disingenuous at best. Answering her with ambiguous riddles about auras and shit. She hardened her heart, cutting a look across the deck to search for the biopsy dart she’d dropped. It lay lodged against one leg of her folding chair several feet away.
“Your aura changes color as frequently as a cuttlefish.” He seemed amused by her. “Tell me what you seek now, Madison.”
Her gaze snapped back to him guiltily. Swallowing, she decided to tell him the truth. “I want to document you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Write a story about you.” She considered how she might tactfully request a sample of his flesh.
“Ah.” He nodded approval. “You keep the myths.”
Her pulse pounded in her throat. “Not myths. Science. Truth.” Proving merpeople existed would first and foremost have to disprove the myth. And with her reputation, the scientific world would seek every opportunity to debunk her. No matter how much data she gathered, there would be those who insisted it was a hoax. Yet how could she not try, with a specimen right here in her hands? Between her legs… She shook her head to clear it. “If you’ll let me take a tissue sample, I can try to prove you’re not a myth.”
His hands clenched her hips. “You want humans to hunt us again.”
She dropped her hands to cover his, horror chilling her veins. “No! Never hunt.”
“I cannot let you write a story about me.” Faster than she could respond, he flipped her over and lay atop her, face mere centimeters from hers. Now it was her turn to have her hands trapped against the deck.
For whatever reason, she wasn’t afraid of him. If he’d wanted to hurt or kill her, he could have done it long ago. His proximity ignited tiny fires in her nipples. She resisted the urge to wrap her legs around him. “What are you going to do?”
A throaty growl tumbled from his mouth. “I do not wish to harm you.”
“Then help me,” she begged.
“I cannot give you what you ask.”
She grimaced, angry at herself for the burning tears rising into her eyes. “I have to go back with data to publish. I can’t continue to be a laughing stock.”
His grip on her softened. “You were not out here to find me. Perhaps I can help you finish what you started.”
“Only if you know where to find a wild hybrid dolphin.”
“You mean K’kee’ei.” The name was a perfect imitation of a dolphin’s chatter. “You wish to hunt dolphins, then.”
Although he kept his weight off her chest, she found it suddenly hard to breathe. “You know the dolphin I’m talking about? I don’t mean to harm it. Only record its parentage.”
“A genealogy?”
“Of sorts, yes.”
“You will not harm her?”
“No. I only want photos and measurements.” Hope reignited. The scientific community would more easily accept documentation of a new hybrid. Perhaps with Rubac’s help, she could capture video footage to go with the hard data of tissue samples. “And a skin sample. That might sting, but won’t actually cause harm.”
He seemed to consider her for a moment. “Your aura is truthful.” He rolled off her, staying close but no longer preventing her from moving. “If you promise not to tell the story of my visit, at first light I will help you find K’kee’ei.”
9
A smile lit Madison’s features, and any trepidation Rubac might have had about helping her melted away. She reached out and rested a hand on his chest, the contact warm and inviting directly over his heart. Her voice was husky with excitement as she said, “Really? Thank you.”
Her touch set his blood on fire, igniting instincts he had no business feeling. He still feared damaging her aura, stealing her spirit. But she let out a breathy moan, her gaze raking his lips and downward… Desire for her exploded into need. His urges couldn’t be denied, not when his chest tingled from the contact of her hand and his craving to feel more of her wrapped around him consumed him.
He curled his fingers behind her neck and opened his mouth to her, exploring her with his tongue. His other hand found her breast, the cotton top rough against his palm. He shoved the fabric up to reach her bare skin. He needed more. He slid his hand around her ribs and over her lower back, into the back of her pants to cup her bottom. She moaned against his mouth.
Deep in his soul he fretted that he was making a mistake, stealing from her, taking more than he could give. He pressed her backward against the deck, stretching over her, cradling her head as she toppled backward to the hard surface. She looped her arms about him and hooked both legs around his hips, allowing his cock to settle against the hollow of her heat. The move assured him she didn’t sense a drain. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
He broke the kiss and skimmed his lips across her jaw until he reached her ear. Catching the tender lobe between his teeth, he gently nibbled. A shudder ran through her body. He hummed deeply, touching her aura with the vibration of his voice, and another shudder ran through her. He moved his hand to her cloth-covered sex, relishing the dampness soaking through.
His cock jerked, jealous of his fingers. He wanted to lose himself in her. But he needed to slow it down, make sure he gave as much or more than he took. That was the key to this joining. Ensuring the lovemaking was a sublime exchange of energy circling in a never-ending flow of pleasure between them.
He again slid his hand beneath the waistband of her pants, this time in front, and pushed aside the thin panties covering her lower lips. She was slick and ready, raising her hips to him with urgent need. He circled her opening. The heat and warmth there made him growl in anticipation. He pushed two fingers into her body and she gasped.
Her hands fluttered down to unfasten the clasp, to shove the restrictive clothing off and away. He pulled free and rolled aside to watch her fumble with the fabric, amusement tumbling amidst his desire.
She turned back to him, gloriously naked legs now free, the downy mound of her sex exposed to his hungry gaze. Her eyes shifted down to where his cock waited, free of its sheath, burning for her touch. But he needed to see to her pleasure first.
To ensure she came away full and satiated. “Not yet. I want to watch you come,” he said.
Her gaze flicked back up to meet his, a protest on her lips. He surged forward and claimed them before she could speak. His hand once again found her opening, seeking her slippery depths. He curled his fingers and stroked her core, reveling in the way her body shuddered and she tightened around him in juicy response. He added a third finger and pumped them into her body, stroking her until her arousal soaked his hand. Her breaths quickened. Each inhale lifted her breasts, pushing erect nipples against the thin shirt. In and out he slid his fingers, adjusting the speed and angle of his thrusts to carry her to the edge.
Each time her sex quivered and her breathing hitched, he changed the depth, delaying her release. He wanted her to be at full potential when she came. Her aura sparked and flared with crimson sunbursts as her arousal crested, reaching an almost blinding hot level.
“Rubac, please,” she rocked against his hand.
Still, he wanted to drive her to higher heights. He replaced his fingers with his tongue. She tasted sweet and earthy, her folds melting with her own rich juices. He slid both hands beneath her bottom and kissed her deeply, exploring her completely. Her glistening short curls tickled his nose and surrounded him with her delicious scent. He focused on exciting her, watching the pulse of her aura across her skin.
“Say you’re mine,” he rumbled against her sex, and shook his head to increase the rhythm of his stimulation.
“Yes, anything. Yes!” She bucked and strained, and he clenched his hands beneath her butt cheeks to help her impale herself on his tongue.
He rumbled again, letting the sound creep up his throat, reveling in the way she shuddered in response. She was perfect. So perfect. He let the vibration of his voice seep into her sensitive lips and carry her higher.
“Oh, there, please, there.”
He flickered his tongue inside her, feeling the slight change in the muscles of her core. She was close. Ready to tip over the edge. He wanted to join her. Withdrawing his tongue, he slithered up to bring them face-to-face, holding himself above her to look into her eyes. Her wonderfully melting brown eyes.
She once again flung her legs around him, straining her hips up to meet his thrust. He entered her, encasing himself to the hilt in her heat. Her breath escaped on a shaky sigh. Still looking into her eyes, he pulled back and entered again, slowly, purposefully. Deeply. In and out, hips meeting hips, he pounded into her, a steady drive into her tightening core.
Her aura flashed white and hot with the first ripples of her orgasm. His cock seemed to respond by swelling larger and harder, counteracting her pulsing core. He drove into her again and again, watching her arch her head back and surrender to the ecstasy, until his own release met hers in an almost surprising explosion of pleasure that left him reeling. He pumped his seed deeply into her, every muscle quivering, until he could hold himself no more and collapsed atop her.
She sighed, her breath tickling his beard and the hair over his ear. With limp hands she stroked his arms and down his ribs, sending tingles of contentment across his skin. He opened his eyes, breathing into her neck. Her skin was slick with sweat, and he kissed her, tasting her salt. Her aura glowed a healthy golden hue, the crimson subsiding to a lingering pink.
He lifted his head looking into her eyes. She grinned back at him, squeezing her arms around his middle. His world contracted to that one, single moment, and he realized he truly was free. Free to do anything and go anywhere. To make his own choices. Be his own man. And in spite of it all he only wanted one thing. “I choose you,” he said, and lowered his head to kiss her.
Epilogue
In the two months since meeting Rubac, Madison had lost her apartment, quit her job, and passed up the scientific find of the century. And she’d never been happier. With Rubac’s help, she’d filmed a smash-hit documentary about K’Kee’ei and dolphin society. She’d bought a boat and now lived a rogue life on the ocean. And she had a mate who loved the ocean even more than she did. She couldn’t think of a better life.
She focused her binoculars on the last place she’d seen Rubac dive, worrying at a fingernail with her teeth. Today they were in pursuit of sharks—well, Rubac was. He’d assured her he could look out for himself, but he’d come back with bruises and lacerations more than a few times during his filming sessions. He could get close to creatures of the sea like no human diver ever could, and she’d already sold the rights to a second film.
Her career as a marine documentary film-maker had more than overcome the stigma of her university paper, but the opinions of the scientific community were the last things she cared about anymore. She’d never thought her greatest find would be this man—a being so special she would never, ever share him with the rest of the world. She now spent her days at sea filming or making love, sometimes on deck and sometimes in the water.
A dark head broke the water about a hundred yards away, and Rubac cleared the surface like a dolphin as he plunged back toward the boat.
“Hey, take it easy on the equipment!” she called, grimacing every time he hit the water. Waterproof didn’t mean unbreakable, and if he damaged it, she’d have to spend time on shore to fix it.
He reached the side and held the camera up for her to retrieve before catapulting himself onto the deck. “They gave me a run for it today.”
She set the camera aside and checked his muscular frame for cuts or bruises. “I don’t like you taking chances.”
He caught her hand and pressed the palm to his lips. “Taking chances is the only way to be free.”
She leaned in, stroking his bearded cheek. Her nipples tingled at his nearness, and she lifted her knee over him to straddle his tail. He’d told her his brother had magically developed legs after bonding to a human, but Rubac never would. Legs were only possible with the magic of a mating bond, and Rubac’s bonded mate was dead. But Madison didn’t mind. Their love was real. He’d chosen her, not been forced by magic.
Besides, tail or legs, she’d never had a man as capable of pleasuring her as Rubac.
He grinned and rolled her to her back, pushing open the folds of her water-soaked sarong. His gaze caressed her exposed belly and settled at the apex of her thighs. She opened her legs to expose more, and his eyes darkened. He slid his hands along her sides, covering her with his body. His hands slid beneath her buttocks, and in one, swift thrust, he plunged into her willing folds.
The sudden fullness made her gasp and buck, her inner walls pulsing deliciously around his cock. She locked her legs around his hips, drawing him deeper.
Rubac closed his eyes and bared his teeth in exquisitely restrained pleasure. “What you do to me, human.”
He rolled his hips, sliding against her clit and making her vision waver. Lifting her head, she captured his mouth in a kiss. He returned it, plunging his tongue inside her with a matching rhythm to his slow, rolling thrusts.
She moaned, straining against him, on the verge of climax. He always managed to get her there so fast and could play her body with masterful intent. He continued kissing and pumping, in and out, intensifying the friction until the pressure inside Madison grew to impossible heights.
Her orgasm sparked like lightning and rolled through her like thunder, taking away everything except the here and now. He continued slamming into her, his muscles flexing and bunching as she came around him. A gush of heat filled her as he found his own release, sending another shock of pleasure to her middle that left her quivering.
He stilled, breathing hard and ragged as he supported himself on his elbows nose-to-nose with her. She opened eyes she hadn’t realized she’d closed to find his emerald green ones staring into her soul.
“I love you forever, Madison.”
She smiled in contentment. “I love you forever too, Rubac.”
The boat cast a long, inky shadow over the water’s surface in the moonlight. Rubac bobbed next to the gunwale, staring at his brother standing on deck. Legs. The si
ght still boggled Rubac.
A toddler’s laugh bubbled from inside the boat’s cabin, and soft, feminine laughter followed. Brianna and Madison were having something they called “girl time,” cooing over Zantu’s offspring. A female offspring. Unheard of among mer-children, who remained genderless until puberty.
Rubac was still in a bit of shock over the unexpected reunion. Madison’d tracked down Brianna and Zantu during her most recent trip to shore and returned with surprise guests. She’d proven over and over that human females were not like mermaids. Even now, the women laughed with an easy camaraderie in complete opposition to the vicious pecking order formed in mermaid covens.
Zantu stepped out of his shorts and tossed them on one of the cushioned seats next to the gunwale. “Ebby’s been coming to see me.” His deep voice sounded different in the air, rougher and less singsong than it did beneath the waves. “Since before she chose her gender.”
“Depths! And you didn’t think to tell me my child was sneaking out unprotected?” Rubac placed a palm flat against the hull to keep a swell from shoving him against it.
Zantu slanted a look at him, silver eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “You haven’t exactly been available to chat since I took a mate.”
A flush of regret washed over Rubac. Although he’d spied on his brother since the mating, he’d never approached the shore, uncertain if human females were as benign as Zantu claimed. Now that he’d been with Madison, he had to acknowledge Zantu had been correct. Madison was loyal and kind and gave to him in ways he hadn’t even realized he needed. He imagined Brianna was the same for Zantu.
The child’s laughter exploded from the cabin and tiny feet pattered across the deck. Zantu caught the tiny figure before it reached the gunwale. “Camilla, you’re supposed to be asleep.”
“‘Wim!” Camilla thrust a chubby hand toward the water where Rubac floated.